'Stuffed & Ready' takes Cherry Glazerr to greater heights

Frontwoman Clem Creevy embraces her vulnerability more so than ever before.

Label: Secretly Canadian
Released: 1st February 2019
Rating: ★★★★

Published: 3:01 pm, January 31, 2019Words: Jasleen Dhindsa.

Cherry Glazerr’s previous record ‘Apocalipstick’ came charging with guns blazing. On ‘Stuffed & Ready’ frontwoman Clem Creevy embraces her vulnerability more so than ever before, but with new found wisdom. The record starts with the soft but sharp ‘Ohio’, and drips into the watery guitars of the satirical ‘Daddi’, where Clem sings "Don’t hold my hand / Don’t be my man" with strained conviction.

‘Stuffed & Ready’ feels more cohesive than any of Cherry Glazerr’s previous efforts, not just in how grown-up the band feel with the emotionally charged instrumentation that stirs and crashes, but the lyrics too that shine with poetic delicacy, and arguably drive the heavy, feedback-laden grunge punk (that contrast with Clem’s typically soft vocals) into greater heights - most notable on the fierce ‘Wasted Nun’, and the downtrodden and hellish ‘Stupid Fish’.

On ‘Stuffed & Ready’ Clem often talks about personal conflicts and confronting the voices in her head. There’s an openness on this record that goes far beyond making loud music in the realms of punk, and by listening to this record, you feel like you’re deep in the depths of her brain. Clem’s stark vulnerability on ‘Stuffed & Ready’ is what makes this such an admirable effort, from both the virtuosity in the lyrics, and the layers of noise that create an ambience, unlike the rest.